1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an animal drinker for poultry, having a plurality of drinking valves assigned to a line-like water supply pipe, wherein each drinking valve has a housing and at least one valve body arranged in a movable manner therein, said valve body being assigned an actuating means, by way of which the valve body can be moved into the at least one position opening the respective drinking valve.
2. Prior Art
Poultry, for example turkeys, chickens, geese, ducks and also chicks can meet their water requirements themselves by way of animal drinkers of the type in question here. To this end, the animal drinker has an elongate water supply pipe which preferably has a plurality of drinking valves at regular intervals. Preferably, a water-collecting bowl is assigned to each drinking valve or at least to some drinking valves. Water discharged by the drinking valve collects therein, to be precise in particular spray which is not directly consumed by the animals. As soon as the water supply in the water-collecting bowl has been completely or largely used up, the animals can temporarily open the respective drinking valve preferably using their beaks, in order that fresh water runs into the water-collecting bowl again. However, it is also conceivable for the animals to directly drink the water emerging from the drinking valves.
Animal drinkers are known in which an additional actuating means is assigned to the valve body, embodied as a valve pin, that is used for actually opening and closing the drinking valve. The actuating means, which has preferably an elongate rod or an elongate tube, extends a lower end region, projecting out of the drinking valve, of the valve pin. This makes it easier especially for smaller animals, for example chicks, to open and close the drinking valve. By way of the actuating means, the respective drinking valve is also easier to reach, especially for smaller animals. However, it has been shown that the valve pin pivoted by the actuating means and/or the valve seat, assigned to said valve pin, in the housing of the drinking valve wear down on one side and as a result the drinking valve no longer closes reliably. The drinking valve then becomes unusable.